The present invention relates to a novel structure adapted for use in a variety of cooking environments wherein the invented structure may be employed during the ordinary course of food preparation to attract, collect, absorb, and extract fats and oils present in an aqueous solution mix such as soup, broth, stew, gravy, etc. Specifically, the invention provides a multi-layer absorption structure including a plurality of fat-permeable, oleophilic membranes adapted to preferentially absorb fats and oils from the aqueous solution mix. Further, as will be described in more detail below, these oleophilic membranes are specifically configured to optimize the inherent "fat-affinity" of the membrane material.
As used herein, the term fat, fats, or fatty substance is generic and all-inclusive of the myriad water insoluble substances naturally present in plants and animals and variously referred to by molecular chemists, nutritionists, etc., as fats, oils, lipids, and/or triglycerides. In general, fats and oils are distinguished by their melting points in that fats are solid at room temperature while oils are liquid at room temperature. However, since fats as wells as oils are typically in a liquid state at the elevated temperatures associated with most cooking operations, this distinction can become blurred. Thus, it will be understood that reference herein to fat, fats, or fatty substances is not limited to a particular substance or physical state, but includes all such substances just mentioned regardless of source or physical state.
It is now widely accepted among the medical community, nutritionists, and the general public that excess fat in the diet can lead to a variety of health problems including high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, etc. Indeed both public and private entities have established guidelines specifying maximum daily amounts of fat in a recommended healthy diet. In response to consumer concerns over food products having a high fat content, both restaurants and food manufacturers have offered alternatives labeled "low-fat," "reduced fat," "fat-free," etc. In addition, non-digestible fat substitutes have been developed to replace the conventional fat in food products. However, neither of these approaches adequately address one of the most common sources of fat in an average diet: fat from foods prepared in the home.
Most people who engage in even a modest amount of cooking in the home are familiar with the sight of films or globules of liquefied fat suspended or floating in soups, broth, stews, etc. Although liquefied fat is insoluble in water, and thus forms generally unblended, unhomogenized, structurally differentiated films or globules when mixed with water, its liquid state nevertheless makes it difficult to separate and remove from a soup, broth, or other aqueous cooking solution. Attempts to remove the fat by decanting it will usually result in the loss of an equal or greater amount of the soup, etc. Nevertheless, the obvious presence of this excess fat is a source of great concern for health conscious cooks.
There is, therefore, a substantial and growing demand for a product or method which would help to remove excess fat during preparation of such foods. Preferably, such a product or method would be both inexpensive and easy to use so that even novice cooks could employ the product or method in their home. Furthermore, the product or method should not compromise food safety, affect the taste of the food, or otherwise interfere with the cooking process. Finally, the product or method should be capable of removing fat from aqueous solutions such as soups, stews, broth, etc., without also removing a substantial portion of the food.
To meet this demand, the present invention provides a food-safe material and structure which can be incorporated into the normal cooking process to absorb excess fat from a variety of foods including fat resident in an aqueous solution. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the structure includes a multi-layer, fat-absorbent pad which can be placed in a sauce pan, crock-pot, etc., along with the food being cooked. The absorbent pad acts to attract and collect excess fat that is produced from the food during cooking, and is specifically structured and textured to maximize the amount of fat that is absorbed. Preferably, the pad includes topographical features and internal pockets which increase the absorptive surface area that would otherwise be available in a pad of a given size. In addition, the pad is preferably constructed of hydrophobic material(s) to reduce, if not eliminate, the absorption or extraction of the desirable liquids from the food.
Various other features, objects and advantages which are attained by the present invention will become more fully apparent as the description which now follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.